Deputies seize Lehigh Acres home after fraud investigation

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a major fraud case that started in Lehigh Acres.

LCSO’s economic crimes unit seized the home on Tuesday after an investigation into three men concluded that they had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from businesses by not properly documenting sales.

The suspects then used that illegally obtained cash to purchase a house.

Thirty-seven-year-old Miguel Recarey Quintana worked with 32-year-old Robernys Llumbert to deliver materials to sites and collect money but not give the money to the business.

While reviewing documents and a video, LCSO determined that all of the work trucks involved in this scheme were from C&M Asphalt, which is owned by 66-year-old Jose Romero.

In an LCSO video, you can see Llumert and Quintana being arrested.

Through search warrants and an investigation, LCSO determined that hundreds of thousands of dollars were used to illegally build a Lehigh Acres home.

WINK News reporter Annalise Iraola spoke with a man who works in the area and said he was disappointed by the news.

“Being someone that works for a living. It really frustrates me because people are out here trying to make a living, and they’re going to take [from] someone else’s pocket, take food out of someone else’s kid’s mouth, and that’s something I can’t stand by, especially here in Lehigh Acres,” said Alex Greenwell, a local contractor.

During the conclusion of the investigation, LCSO seized $400,000 in cash and the Lehigh Acres home.

LCSO determined Romero, Lumbert and Recarney Quintana worked together to knowingly and illegally defraud businesses.

They were all arrested and charged with grand theft of over $100,000, a scheme to defraud and money laundering of over $100,000.